"Military Units Must Prepay" Tips to Prevent Damage Appear
A restaurant near a military base has once again fallen victim to a 'no-show' scam involving impersonation of the military base.
Official document from the military unit near the restaurant forged by the impersonator (left) and the KakaoTalk message sent to the restaurant (right). Screenshot from 'Because It's Painful, It's the Boss'
On the 16th, a post titled "I was victimized by a no-show scam impersonating a military base" was uploaded to the self-employed community 'Because It Hurts, I'm a Boss.' The author, Mr. A, explained that his parents run a small restaurant on Yeongjongdo Island in Incheon. On the 13th, his parents received a group takeout order call. The caller introduced himself as 'Sergeant Kim Dong-hyun' from a nearby unit and ordered 50 servings of pork bulgogi (worth 500,000 KRW), requesting delivery by 2 p.m. the next day, the 14th. 'Sergeant Kim Dong-hyun' provided a mobile phone number and even asked for the receipt to be sent via KakaoTalk. He said, "I will pay when I come to pick up the food."
Mr. A’s mother did not suspect anything unusual since soldiers frequently visited the restaurant. On the morning of the 14th, the day of food pickup, 'Sergeant Kim Dong-hyun' contacted them again from a different number than before to confirm, "Are you preparing everything without any issues?"
Mr. A’s parents prepared the 50 servings of food along with extra meat and rice until just before 2 p.m., when the food was supposed to be picked up. They packed the food in an icebox to keep it from getting cold and even prepared two boxes of tangerines as dessert for the soldiers. When 2 p.m. arrived, Mr. A’s parents called 'Sergeant Kim Dong-hyun,' but he did not answer. After waiting and seeing no one come to pick up the food, they eventually reported the incident to the police.
Thinking the food would become inedible over time, Mr. A’s parents contacted the local merchants’ association, community center, and volunteer groups to donate the food to nearby elderly residents and neighbors in need.
50 servings of pork bulgogi ordered by an impersonator of a military unit. Screenshot from 'Because It Hurts, It's the Boss'
Recently, crimes involving impersonating military bases or soldiers to place large orders at stores and then not showing up have been rampant since the beginning of this year. Some scammers ask for alcohol orders as well, claiming that it is inconvenient to pay for the alcohol with the military base’s card, and then disappear after requesting someone else to cover the cost. There are also many cases like this one where no monetary demand is made, but the 'no-show' itself causes damage.
A self-employed person, Mr. B, who almost suffered a similar loss, shared his story. He said, "I was preparing for an 80-serving order but felt uneasy and searched online, finding the exact same case. When I tried to send money via KakaoTalk, the name was different from 'Sergeant Kim Dong-hyun.'" He added, "Coincidentally, a military base customer visited the restaurant that day, so I took the liberty to ask some questions," and shared tips to prevent military base impersonation scams.
He explained that while military base officers sometimes place group orders by phone, these days they mostly use delivery apps or come in person to order. Also, the order quantity is usually around 20 servings at most. If the number exceeds that, it is handled as an 'on-base event,' so food is typically prepared at the base’s own dining facilities rather than using civilian restaurants outside the base.
Furthermore, he emphasized, "Above all, the military base always requires prepayment, so if someone says they will pay after the food or goods are prepared, you should be suspicious."
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